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G. '0. HAYWARD & D, J. HAVENSTRITE. GAME BOARD.

N0.-345,4'30. Patented July 13, 1886.

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4b Dav id Jlibzvem'bctlfe 7 UNITED STATES CHARLES O. HAYYVARD AND DAVID J. HAVENSTRITE, OF NEWARK, N.

PATENT OFFICE.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,430, dated July 13, 1886.

Application filed J mm 24, 1885. Serial No. 169,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES O. HAY- WARD and DAVID J. HAVENSTRITE, citizens of the United States, residing at -Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards, and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to secure indoor amusement by providing means for play-' ing a game closelyresembling in many respects that field sport commonly known as baseball.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts, whereby the several rules and regulations provided for use in playing the game may be followed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates in plan a board, which may be of any mate rial, of one piece or jointed, as shown, a being a marked section of or position or place on the board,which will herein be termed the homebase or the striker, b, a detached or dis-' tinct section, point, or position, which will be herein termed the pitcher, 0, another detached,distinct, or separated portion, section, place, or position, which will herein be distinguished from the others by the name catcher, d, a distinct portion of the board, termed herein the second base, or the man at the second base, or the fielder at second base, and e is a section or marked position, distinct from the others, which will be termed the center fielder. These several sections or marked portions of the board are preferably in line, as inthe field of an ordinary ballground. At the right of this line, looking from the striker toward the field, are marked sections, portions, or points on the board, of which f is herein termed the first base or the man at first base, and g the right field or right fielder. At the left of said line are marked sections, portions, or positions of or on the board,'of which-- h is termed the third base or third baseman, or some equivalent expression; 2, the shortstop, and j, the left field or left fielder. T0 or near each of said sections or portions of the board is secured pointers or pivoted indicating-hands a b c d c f g h i 'j, and around these series of sub-sections,

which form,with the indicating-hands or pointers, a series of dials corresponding with the series of players above named. The sub-see tions of the dials are lettered or otherwise characterized to indicate the plays that may be made by the respective players.

The following is the system of lettering we prefer to adopt to indicate the respective sys tem of plays:

The Pitchers Plays-The next following letters indicate the pitchers duty as a pitcher: F. 13. indicates a fair ball, atwhich the striker must strike. U. 13. indicates an unfair ball, or in common parlance a ball. Seven of these gives the striker a base, a checker then being placed at the first base. E indicates an error or balk by the pitcher, which gives the striker his base. These letters on the inner subsections indicate the result of a ball to the pitcher. indicates a passed ball, or that the pitcher has allowed the ball to pass by him. In this event the rule is that every runner shall be given a base, or a checker at a base may be moved to the next one in succession. S-indicatesa stopped ball. In this case it is at the option of the pitcher to throw the ball to any base to put a runner out, the result of the throw being ascertained by turning the pointer thereat. 0 indicates that the striker has been caught out.

Strikefis plays.The lettered sub sections around the strikers are to indicate, when the pointer, being turned, stops thereat, the following plays: L F indicate that the striker struck a ball to left field, the result of which is ascertained by turning the left fielders pointer. R F indicate that the striker struck a ball to right field, the result of which is ascertained by turning the right fielders pointer. D indicates that the striker was hit by a dead ball, and may take one base; P indicates that the ball has been struck to the pitcher. indicates a foul ball, and, in connection with the letters R F or L F, indicates that the ball was knocked to the right or left field, the result as to whether the ball was caught by the men at the bases being indicated and determined by the pointers thereat.

Oafchcrsplaya-The subsections around the catchers pointer have indicating or determining letters or symbols thereon, as follows: 0 indicates that the striker or other player has been caught out by the catcher. 1 indicates that the catcher allowed a ball to pass him, the striker in that event being allowed one base. E indicates an error, showing that the catcher fumblcd the ball, making itimpos sible for him to throw the said ball to first base. S indicates a stopped ball, which the catcher may throw to any base; or he can retain the ball to put a runner trying to get home out.

l icldcrs plays.-Thesub-seetions arou nd the pointers of the men at first, second, and third base, the short stop, the right, center, and left fielders have letters or equivalent symbols thereon, as follows, to indicate or determine the results of their respective plays: E indicates that the fielder fumbled the ball, making it impossible to throw it to any base, so that all runners are given a base. 1 indicates that the ball was knocked past the fielder. All runners are given two bases. S indicates that the fielder stopped the ball, and that he can throw it to any base. 0 indicates that the fielder caught the ball, so that the striker has been put out.

Umpirc.-In addition to the sections or positions described the board is also provided with a pointer and sub-sections with symbols thereon to determine all questions of disputed fact or points of law or rule. The symbols I prefer are: I, to indicate that the decision of the umpire is in favor of the ins, or those at the bat; F, to indicate that the decision is in favor of those in the field. Should the umpircs pointer stop on a line, the said pointer may be spun again. The decision of the umpire is final. The above rules may of course be modified without departing from the invention.

To give the board a closer resemblance to an ordinary-ball-ground, the same may be provided with lines to connect the bases, foul lines extending from the home-base past the first and third bases to the bounds of the field, where flags may be stationed or represented, captains lines back from and parallel to the foul lines, and players lines back from the captains lines to the limits of the field. The bases may be provided with supplemental sections, as shown at 1, 2", and 3", to receive checkers or disks to represent men running the bases. The board being laid off in the manner indicated to show four base-sections, a pitchers section, a catchers section, and four fielders sections, two dissimilar sets of disks or men are provided, four or more to each set. These are placed within the players-bounds. The pitehers pointeris turned or caused to spin, and, stopping at one of the sub-sections disposed around, it indicates whether he has pitched a fair ball, an unfair ball, or has made a balk. If a fair ball has been pitched, then the strikers pointer is turned to indicate whether he has hit the ball or has allowed it to pass, (this latter being called a strike,) and, if hit, whether it is a foul or fair ball, and in what direction it is sent, and, finally, to indicate a dead ball, or onehittingthe striker. The ball being sent to the bases or to the field, the pointers thereof are turned to ascertain the result of the play. If the ball stops at 0, the striker is out; if at S, it indicates a stopped ball, and enables the player to use his judgment as to what is the best to be done with it; if at c, it indicates an error, and the striker and a forced runner-should there be one-take a base, a disk or man being then placed on the supplemental base-scction prepared for it; and if at P, it indicates a passed ball. If said ball passes an iii-fielder, or the basemen, pitcher, and short-stop, it allows every runner to take one base; if it passes an out-fielder, (right, center, and left-fielders,) the runners are all allowed to take two bases. Three balls from the pitcher being allowed to pass the striker without being hit, the catchers pointer is turned. If it stops at 0, the striker is out; if at s, it is a stopped ball, and he can throw it to any base, the result of the throw being indicated by the pointer of that base; if at P, the ball is a passed ball, and all runners take one base, and if at E the striker and a forced runner only is allowed to take one base. Should the indicating-hand of thestriker show the hit ball to be foul, the catchers or the first or third base dials are turned to show whether the striker is or is not caught out. In lieu of the umpires dial and pointer we may employ dice.

On the face of the game-board, in any suitable position, is applied or secured a surface of silicated matter, upon which the results of the innings may be noted,and afterward easily erased by a dampened cloth, the said slate or silicated surface being marked off into suitable divisions to tally with the innings to be played.

\Ve are aware that game-boards having a different disposition of parts have been provided for playing the game of base-ball, but they differ from the one herein described in a number of particulars, the more important, perhaps, being, that while in theformer devices the player, supposed to be at the bat, in turning the pointer, not only ascertained the result of his own play, but also that of the men at the bases (runners) and that of the basemen. Thus a number of plays or turns of the dial-hand is made by the player representing the inside men or men at the bat before the player representing the fielder has a opportunity to act.

In the improved device the peculiar arrangement and construction of parts enables one side to make a play, the result of which is asceltlined by the play of the opposing player, the two parties playing alternately, as in base-ball proper. As an illustration, when the striker of the inside club sends a ball to first base, the dial thereat is turned by the player representing the outside club, and more particularly the first-baseman, to ascertain the result of the strike. The opposing parties in the game are thus kept constantly and actlvely interested in the game, both when they are supposed to be at the bat and in the field.

Having thus described the invention, What we claim as new is-- 1 The game-board herein described, having points or sections marked thereon corresponding with the positions of the men in the field. in the game commonly known as base-ball, the said positions or sections being provided with pointers and surrounded with sub-sections, having letters or symbols indicating the result of a play or the play next to be made,

substantially as herein set forth.

'2. A game-board having thereon a series of pointers surrounded with sub-sections, having letters or symbols thereon, which refer the player to other pointers and dials for subsequent plays, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a game-board, the combination of a series of sections disposed at positions on said board corresponding with and representing the positions of men in the game of base-ball, each of said sections having thereat subsections with symbols or characters thereon indicating the plays to be made by the men at said positions, and a suitable pointer orindicator, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 19th day of June, 1885.

CHARLES o. HAYWARD. DAVID J. HAVENSTRITE.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, SAMUEL H. VAN SYoKEL. 

